A new USA Today/Gallup poll released Wednesday shows that Americans remain split on how they would advise their congressmen to vote on healthcare reform this year, with a slim majority expressing opposition to the bill.

According to the poll, which surveyed 1,025 adults December 11 - 13, 48% of Americans would advise their congressmen to vote against a healthcare bill this year, while 46% said they would advise their congressmen to vote for the legislation.

The numbers were in line with what Americans have been saying since November. In the last poll, 49% would advise voting against it compared to 44% who would support it. In a poll at the beginning of November, 48% said they would advise against it, while 43% said they would advise voting for it.

Democrats heavily favored advising their congressmen to vote for healthcare reform this year, with 76% saying they would advise for it compared to 16% saying they would advise against it.

Republicans took the opposite view, with 83% saying they would advise against voting for reform this year compared to 13% saying they would advise for it.

Independents were closely divided on the issue, with 44% saying they would advise for healthcare reform this year compared to 49% saying they would advise against it.

The poll's release comes as the Senate moves closer to passing a watered down version of the healthcare reform bill.

Senator Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said Tuesday that he would support reform as long as it didn't include provisions for a public option or lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55.